Ladies and Gentlemen, The Amazing Hawkeye!
by hawkwasp4
Summary: Clint Barton was just a lonely boy from Waverly, Iowa. Son of a drunk, son of a con artist, son of a murderer and son of a shield agent, Clint Barton origin story. Rated M for mature themes, not much will be left out as far as violence, sex and language is concerned, you have been warned, please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

_Year: 1988  
Location: Waverly, Iowa  
Time: 04:21 a.m._

He could barely sleep the whole night, after hearing his dad crash the car through the fence of the house...again and stumble back into the house. He must have been fiddling with the keys for awhile and feel face first as the door slammed open and his whiskey bottle smashed to pieces.

He'd been afraid the whole night of his father storming up to his room and taking out his frustration on his face again, the boys and teachers at school were beginning to ask questions, but whenever anyone would ask him about the bruises he either made a sarcastic comment or greeted the person with a punch to the face.  
Clint was notorious for fighting in school and was even more notorious for picking fights with guys twice his size, so eventually people began thinking the bruises were from his own stupidity.

He buried his face into his pillow and had the blankets over his head the whole night, feigning ignorance to the weak protection he'd given himself.

Luckily for him, his father was too busy shouting and beating his mother senseless, the whole night to bother with Clint or his brother for that matter. He cried that night with every smack and crash that he heard, at least there was no struggle this time, it was so much worse when she tried to fight him, as harsh as it was to admit he hated when she tried to fight back, but most of the time just like Clint, his mother didn't know when to quit.

When morning came he'd just about gotten an hour of sleep, it was now 11:30a.m,  
He slept in way too late and missed school, he really couldn't give a shit, but when Barney rushed into his room and slammed the door open Clint's whole body went pale and his eyes began to water.

"Clint, get under the bed" Barney whispered to him with complete urgency.

Clint didn't need to be told twice, there weren't many things Clint was afraid of, but his father scared the living shit out of him.

He crawled under the bed and kept his handover his mouth. He could only see Barney's feet moving away from the door and let there father in. His father pushed Barney forcefully out of his way as he rushed over to Clint bed and threw the blankets off of it. "Where is he?"

Barney approached his father slowly. "Where is-"

He was cut off by a heavy smack to the left side of his face. "Don't you play dumb with me you little shit, where's that brother of yours?"

Barney was about to lie to his father but instead went for the snarky approach. "You mean your son?" he said holding his cheek.

There father grabbed Barney roughly by the hair on the back of his head and pulled him close enough so he could smell his father's whiskey soaked breath. "I'm gonna give you one last chance to answer me again boy and if I don't like your answer then you be coughing up teeth for a week, now where is that sack of shit brother of yours?" For as long as Clint could remember, his father never once called or acknowledged him as his son.

Barney stared into his father's eyes and tried to stop his stomach from turning with the smell of his father's breath. "I'd guess he went to school."

He gripped Barney tighter. "Why? Ain't like it's gonna do him no good, the kids a fucking dumbass, just like his mother." He threw Barney to the side. "He think he's better than his old man?"

Barney just shook his head and fought back tears.

"No? Is that what you;re trying to say to me?!" He said smashing Clint's Captain America alarm clock. "Bet you feel like a big man now, ehh Barney?"

He pulled Barney up by his shirt, ripping it in the process and smacked him in the face repeatedly. "Since your brother can't be here, I guess you'll have to do."

Barney tried to crawl away from his father but to no avail, he was grabbed by his hair and pulled up again for another beating.

Clint swallowed a large portion of saliva and pretended he was somewhere else. As his father smashed the Captain America alarm clock, the sound echoed through his body. The only thing that pulled him back to reality was a small yelp that escaped Barney;s mouth as he was struck to the ground.

He couldn't take it anymore, he couldn't let Barney take his beating for him, not like this. He silently crawled out from under the bed and tried to stand as tall as he could for a 6year old. "Hey!"

His father turned suddenly and stopped Barney to the ground. "Clint don't just go away!" his brother pleaded.

"It's ok Barney, I can take whatever he can dish out." He said to his brother without even acknowledging him.

"Ohh, so here's the big man now? Did you fucking lie to me Boy?" He asked Barney lifting his hand in a threatening motion.

"Clint just leave!" His brother begged.

Clint stayed silent as his father walked slowly to him. "You know your mum ain't at home right? So she's not going to save you this time." He shoved Clint in the chest trying to intimidate him.

"I don't need saving, you... you dickhead!" The 6 year old yelled back.

_Maybe not the best idea. _He thought Just a second before he was punched in the stomach_._

He was on the ground doubled over in mere seconds and before he could react to another attack, his father punted the him in the ribs. _Think something just snapped._

Clint's vision started to get fussy, he was sure he saw Barney get up and try to help him but was put back down by a swift punch to the jaw.

"Maybe you two girls will learn a little respect now." As their father proceeded to walk out of the room Clint got back to his feet.

"Is that all, Old man?" _Now I'm just being stupid, get on the ground and play possum Clint. _"All that beer and couch surfing, must be making you soft!"__

The next few seconds were like a blur until he past out, he remembered his dad picking up the remains of the Captain America alarm clock he'd smashed earlier and it was travelling towards his face then BAM! Everything went black.

_You just had to say something didn't you?  
___

When he woke up, his brother was playing one of their dad's old Styx cassette, the dong was currently renegade. It felt like this was happen way too much.  
They'd get their collected asses kicked by their father and one of them would be playing Styx or creedence or whatever cassette tape was closest.__

Barney's face was cut on his left cheek and his lips was swollen, Clint didn't even want to think about how he looked compared to his brother.

Barney looked at his little brother trying not to show any shock at his injures. "I knew this one was your favourite."

Clint slowly got off the ground. "Don't try to make me feel better Barney... how bad is it?"

Barney smiled at his brother in defeat. "You look almost as bad as I feel." he laughed.

"Will I ever model again?" Clint asked with a faked whimper.

"Sure, ski masks mostly."

"Hey I could go another ten rounds with the old man and still come out looking better than you."

To be honest that was probably one of the worst beatings Clint or Barney had ever received from their father. "So what the hell made him so mad?"

Barney looked down when Clint asked him the question. "Mom is thinking about leaving dad." Barney felt guilty tell his younger brother this, he half expected him to break out in tears...but he didn't.

"Good." Clint silently replied and walked out of his room.

Barney was annoyed and followed his brother outside. "Hey! Hey! What's up with you?"

Clint was ignoring Barney, instead of answering him, he started throwing rocks against a target Bamey had painted on a nearby tree two years ago.

Barney waited a while before talking again, he just stood there watching Clint hit the target over and over. "You know you take way too long to aim, right?" Barney knew that teasing him would eventually make him talk. "So are you playing a game where you miss the target... ooooooor?"

Clint glared at him. "The bullseye looks untouched, if you're not gonna hit it then someone has to."

"Ohhhh so small, stumpy and brooding has jokes now?"

"I'm **not** small" He said dropping the remaining rocks.

Barney held up his hands. "Clint, what's bugging you?"

"Nothing I'm fine." He started throwing again.

Barney laughed. "You know, when someone with a swollen eye, bloody nose and a bruised jaw says they're fine, it gets a little hard to believe."

Clint kept throwing.

"Are you gonna talk to me or not?!"

"What do you want to hear Barney?"

"Maybe why you're so happy that mum is leaving dad." Barney stood up and came face to face with Clint.

"Did dad hit you too hard in the head in there or did we not just get the beating of a life time."

"You say that like it's something new."

"It was different this time and you know it."

"So he gets a little more upset and takes it out, with good reason."

"Good reason? Dad is a fucking psycho Barney, he lost his good reason somewhere down a whiskey bottle!"

"Don't talk about dad that way Clint, he loves us."

"Could have fooled me and where is all this bullshit coming from anyway?"

"You're too young to understand." Barney said with a sigh and sat back down on a tree stump.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a kid Barney, you're only 4 years older." He started throwing rocks again, but not at anything in particular.

"Dad told me respect is earned, not given Clint.,remember that."

Clint threw his last rock and whispered. "Ditto." he began walking back to the house.

"Where ya goin shrimp?"

"Inside to get an icepack for my face, is that ok?" Clint shouted back. "And stop calling me shrimp."

Barney shrugged his shoulders and picked up the rocks Clint dropped and began throwing again at the target.

Later that night.__

Barney was sitting in his father's chair. _Keeping it warm for that waste of space aye Barney? _Clint thought.Clint was on the sofa, watching From Russia with love...again. He had his arms around his mother as they watched Clint's favourite movie for what was quite possibly the hundredth time.

Clint's mother Edith was a natural beauty if there ever was on, she rarely wore make-up, but that wasn't out of choice, she would only ever use what little she had to cover certain marks left by her husband.  
She had long flowing sandie blond hair, just like Clint's.  
Barney was his fathers son as far as looks went, he was like a mini Harold Barton minus the personality and smell of piss.  
Harold wasn't always that way though, he married his high school sweet heart after getting her pregnant shortly after dropping out of school, he was never clever but he was a hard worker, before alcohol.

It was no secret that Clint hated his father, even though he was still just 6 years old, he didn't find an excuse for his father, Barney was more likely to cut his old man a break, though it was out of some form of pity.

They watched Clint's movie in silence until the female Russian spy came on the screen, Tatiana and Clint perked up. "Mummy are all Russians pretty like that?"

Clint's mother laughed and held him closer. "My little boy is growing up so fast aye?" Clint smiled back at her ad blushed. "I don't know Clinty, I've never met any Russians before baby."

Clint settled down and began watching the movie again. "Ohh, well are they all evil and spies too?"

His mother smiled at that. "No no, it's just a movie Clinty, and don't worry, you'll never have to meet any evil Russian spy super models and if you do, they'll have to go through me first." she winked at him.

"Thanks mummy." They both went back to their movie just as Sean Connery kissed his Russian beauty.

A little while later, the Barton household got a call from the local bar, something about Harold Barton throwing bottles and causing a fight. Their mother kissed both her sons and took the keys of the pick up truck and said good bye to her two boys."I'll be back in ten minutes boys, just making sure your dad gets home ok." Clint hugged his mother again.

"Please don't go, you said you would help me with my spelling homework." Clint finding any excuse to make his mother stay.

She crouched down and put her hand on her sons face, making sure not to touch his bruises. "I'll be back before you know it Clinty, then I promise I'll help you, ok?" She smiled at him.

"Cross your heart?"

She smiled at him, crossed her heart and kissed both of them goodbye again.

Clint was in his room packing a bag full of clothes.

Barney slowly walked into the Clint's room and watched him pack the over sized suitcase. "Clint, what are you doing?"

Clint squashed the clothes down further in the bag. "What does it look like, once mum comes back we're outta here."

"Clint you know its not gonna work that way."

"What way is it gonna work then Barney?"

"I don't know bro, look just stop packing."

"Why? Why does she bother staying, we should get away from dad while the goings good."

"You don't mean that."

"Sure I do, you can't tell me you want to stay."

"He's our father Clint."

"Don't call him that, if I'm lucky, I should grow up to be nothing like him."

"He just needs help Clint."

"He can help himself, he's old enough."

"Everybody needs help from time to time."

"Not me, I don't need anyone."

"Not even mum? Or me?"

"...You're my family."

"So is dad, just stop packing."

"Why do you always defend him!" Clint threw the suitcase on the ground. "He beats us bloody when he's bored and when he's not here he's !"

"It's just not that simple Clint."

"Whatever, I hope he's in a ditch somewhere right now."

Barney turned and began walking out of Clint's room. "You don't mean that."

"Yes I do, I wish dad was **dead!**" He slammed the door shut behind Barney. He was so mad that all he could do was curl up and cry. _I hate you so much dad._

2 hours later.

Barney was looking out the window waiting to see the familiar glare of head lights drive down the track to there home, he'd been there far too long, inside both he and Clint knew something was wrong.

"We should call somebody." Clint sighed.

"like who?"Barney asked rhetorically.

"I don't know, the police?"

"They're just a little late Clint, maybe they went out somewhere together."

Clint laughed. "You're kidding me right? Mum and dad aren't the going out type Barney."

"They still love each other Clint."

"Obviously." Clint exclaimed sarcastically. "If I'm still in love with someone that beats the crap out of me and an idiot, please shoot me."

Barney laughed in a breath. "Deal."

They finished talking just as Barney saw headlights appear from the darkness. "See nothing to worry about Shrimp." He said with a wink.

Clint ran to the door to greet his mother (and help his drunk ass father inside. Except it wasn't his mother or father that got out of the vehicle.  
Clint didn't notice at the time nor Barney, but the it was a police car that stop outside there house, and two officers stepped out of the car with another heavier looking old man who walked with an umbrella to cover himself from the relentless rain. "Hello there son, is this the Barton residence?"

Clint looked at all the men, not caring that the rain was soaking his Captain America pyjamas. "Whose asking?"

Barney walked out behind his younger brother. "Clint, shh, what's the problem officer?"

"We are looking for the Barton residence, are you two the children of Edith and Harold Barton?"

Barney looked worried buyt tried to hide it for Clint. "We are, I'm Barney and this is my younger brother Clint...what's happened?"

"Boys my name is Joesph Chill, I'm a social worker, you need to come with us to the police station."

Barney looked at all the men frantically. "I don't understand, what's happening?"

Clint shouted over his brother."Where's our mum and dad?"

The larger man stepped forward, guilt covering his face, he took off his glasses and began wiping them with a handkerchief. "Boys, I regret to tell you that your parents have been killed."

Clint's heart froze, there was no way he could have been talking about his parents, no way, that doesn't just happen.

Barney put his arm around his brother. "What?"

"I understand that this might be hard to believe, but they were killed driving home from a local bar, your mother was driving at the time and we suspect that your father was intoxicated-"

Clint shouted again. "Drunk."

"Yes, drunk and he grabbed the wheel from your mother and...and on the opposite side of the road a truck collided with them."

The two Barton brother didn't cry or move, they were frozen in disbelief.

"Please boys, come with us, we'll explain this to you more." he extended his hand out to the boys.

Barney walked forward, taking Clint with him. "Come on baby bro." he said weakly, trying to fight back tears.  
Clint didn't say a word, he just kept the same emotionless face, no one tried to talk to him, but the three men in the car gave him strange looks.  
He sat in silence as the police car drove through the rural road and to the police station, Clint just kept thinking the same thing the whole drive.  
_It's my fault, I killed them._

**Surprise, not just a Natasha origin, but a Clint origin too *GASP!* really excited for these two origin stories, they're gonna be full of throw backs and funny in jokes through out.  
Hope you like this story, if so please review or favourite or follow, it all really helps, FYI more reviews mean I update faster (winkwink) Hope you enjoyed this, keep reading and I'll be back soon with the next chapter of The Hawk and the Spider!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:  
****  
****5 days later: The Funeral of Harold and Edith.  
12:03 p.m.**

The rain was very heavy. Clint's tears were lost in the rain, so at least Barney wouldn't notice he was crying.

It was only him, Barney, a priest (who was already leaving the cemetery) and the old police officer who had told the boys about their late parents.

They came to know him as Officer Bailey though.

Clint stood there looking at the two freshly filled graves, just tears running down his face and he really couldn't tell if they were out of sadness or the realisation that his parents being dead didn't make him feel much at all. He felt unnatural, like he was a monster. His own parents had been taken from him and buried in soil right below him and all he could do was stare. If he was sure he felt anything, then it was futility. 

He didn't like it, this feeling of uselessness. _I am so messed up, just like dad, what if mum could see me?_

"Clint." Barney put his hand on Clint's shoulder. "Come on squirt, it's time to go." He said before walking towards officer Baileys car.

He sat in the back of Baileys car in complete silence, ignoring the rain drops that rolled off his hair and on to his face. Barney was talking, maybe to him or just anyone that would listen, but all Clint heard was muffled words. It was possible that Bailey said something as well, but Clint found it hard to care, about anything.

For the past few days the two Barton boys were staying with Bailey in his home, he had a wife but no kids of his own, so his wife was more than happy to have the two boys in their home.  
Barney thought it was strange to live with a detective who was investigating the death of his parents, an investigation that wasn't going anywhere. He found it even more strange that Clint was so unfazed by everything.

Officer Bailey didn't live far away from the Barton's home, just over the Cedar river.  
His house wasn't very large, but it was cosy, it had old style armchairs and a large cushiony sofa that Barney had to sleep on since there was only one bed. The walls were all painted or had light coloured wallpaper; some with small flowers on them. The house clearly wasn't decorated by Bailey, there was one room he had for work but the Barton brothers never looked inside.  
The one thing that put them off the house was the smell, like mothballs, but the kitchen had a nice smell of different spices with every meal. Baileys wife was somewhat of a chef.

They knew Bailey couldn't let them stay forever though, and the most obvious answer to their predicament was a foster home. The last he'd heard was that their social worker was moving the two brothers out to Davenport, this way they could stay in Iowa, but while they were there Clint got himself into a fight with an older fat kid, something about if the kid ate his parents, but Clint swears he didn't start it.  
So as it turned out the only place that would take the boys without an interview was in Chicago.

Bailey had already told Barney the reality and left it to him to tell Clint, but it was hard enough just getting a 'good morning' from Clint, so Barney thought it'd be easier to give Clint some time.

Later that day they were all gathered around the dinner table. Baileys wife Joan had cooked them a spaghetti and meatball dinner, she was telling them all how hard it was to get the sauce just right and that she wanted to make it special for the two boys. Clint never answered her whenever she asked if he liked spaghetti but Barney knew it was his favourite, although he'd never had it from scratch before, usually the best they could get was the canned stuff.

Barney put on a smile throughout the whole dinner, he was grateful that Baileys wife had taken them in no questions asked and was even more grateful that she'd make such a big dinner for him and Clint, but he wasn't happy, his brother was hurting and he wasn't sure he could help.

Joan asked Bailey about the ceremony, trying not to talk too loud in case Clint or Barney heard her, Bailey just gave her short mumbled answers, he looked to see if the boys were okay. He watched Clint play with his spaghetti for a minute and realised that the youngest Barton hadn't said a word all day.

"Clint?"

The 6 year old turned to him, still playing with his food, Barney watched on still enjoying every mouthful of the pasta.

"What do you think of the spaghetti? Joan worked really hard on it, just for you boys."

Clint nodded. "It's good."

Barney decided to jump in. "It's his favourite."

"Really? Well there might be some left after dinner, I could have some wrapped up for you before..."

"Before you send us away?" Clint butted in. "

The room went silent for a second.

"Look Clint I understand..."

"Understand? Did you parents die on you?" Clint asked sharply.

"Clint that's not fair" Barney calmly interjected.

"Its alright, your brother is just angry, he has a right to be."

"He is just a young child and it's obviously harder on him."Joan added.

"I know, I just wish he would talk to me."

"I'm not a child! You all just don't get it!"

"We do Clint, we just want to help you, you're too young to understand things right now." Barney said.

"I know what's going on and I don't need your pity."

"You're acting like a baby!"

"Screw you, Barney!"

"Clint that's enough. Your brother is just trying to help." Bailey chimed in.

"He thinks he's helping but he just likes treating me like some dumb kid."

"You're a dumb kid, you're not the only one who lost mum and dad you selfish twerp!" Barney said in anger. "Maybe if you treated dad with some respect then they'd both still be alive!"

"Barney!" Bailey said sounding almost shocked.

Clint had tears in his eyes. "All anyone can say is that they understand, but they don't, they don't understand and they never will... especially you ,Barney." With that Clint stormed out of the room and went straight to his bed for the last time. "Thank you for the Spaghetti Mrs Bailey." He muttered just before heading up stairs.

The three people left at the dinner table fell into an uneasy silence. Bailey sighed and looked to Barney. "You know that what you said was wrong, right Barney?"

Barney mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

Barney stood up and got ready to walk to the couch. "Its true." Barney closed the door after him.

Bailey and Joan sat at the table in silence for a while together and held each others hand. "Don't worry so much about them Jack, they're angry and they don't know how to feel right now. They just need some space."

"I know, but I can't have either of those kids thinking that they are responsible for the accident."

"It'll all be okay Jack, it's just how they feel right now. They don't really believe that."

"Yeah, yeah I guess so." He nodded and paused for a minute.

"What is it?"

He shook himself out of his own thoughts. "Nothing, just...nothing, let me help you with the dishes."

The next morning Bailey personally insisted that he should be the one to drop off the boys into Chicago, he didn't mind the drive, in fact he actually wanted some more time with the boys before they left, maybe for good.  
He wanted to make sure that even though they shared some harsh words yesterday that things would still be fine, they only had each other now and Bailey needed them to understand that.

The drive was smooth, hardly a bump on the road, which was strange because it was Iowa. The two brothers didn't say a word to each other although they were both excited about living in a big city like Chicago, however they still didn't even think about looking at each other,choosing instead to gaze out the car windows.

"Ya know, I had a brother too." Bailey announced to anyone that was listening. "His name was George, 6 years older then me he was, always pushing me around."

Clint and Barney started paying attention.

"Our dad would take us hunting, up North, deer and the like, either of you boys ever been hunting?"

The two boys looked at each other, they'd never been fishing much less hunting. "No." Barney answered. "But Clint is a pretty good shot with a rock hitting a tree." He joked.

Clint smiled.

"Well its sorta the same I guess." He laughed "Anyway, George would always give me the crossbow and he always took the shotgun, Of course I always thought that was his way of treating me like a kid I guess, like I was inferior to him."  
"So this happened with lots of things, he'd always push me around, tell me to stop hanging out with him and his friends or that I wasn't allowed to stay out as late as him because he was older than me."

Clint and Barney looked at each other and nodded.

"Then one day I found out that George wasn't doing this to be mean or to treat me like a child, but because he didn't want to see me get hurt, most of all he wanted me to be my own man and not grow up like him. All this time my big brother had just been looking out for me."

The tension in the car seemed to disappear after that.

The foster home wasn't as close to the city as Clint and Barney would have thought and the outside of the home wasn't the most inviting, but whenever they went inside things seemed to start picking up, the walls were colourful and it sure didn't smile like mothballs like Baileys house.

"Hello I'm Helen Gartner, you two must be Clint and Barney right?" a cheerful voice greeted them. Helen looked to be somewhere in her late 20s and had a very warm and welcoming smile. She seemed like a nice person with a good heart. She had shiny blonde hair and pretty green eyes.

The two boys nodded. "It's okay boys, Helen is going to look after you from here on out." Bailey reassured them.

"I'm sure after some time we'll become greats friends." She looked at Bailey. Thank you for bringing the boys with you, it must be very hard on them."

"It was no trouble at all, but I really should be on my way."

"Wait!" Clint called.

Bailey was shocked that he heard Clint speak finally. "Clint, It'll be alright. I promise I'll visit you two soon."

"No I know that but, can I talk to you for a second please?"

Bailey smiled. "Sure." He turned to Helen and Barney. "We'll just be a minute."

"No problem, I'll get one of the boys to take Barney to his room." She called over one of the other boys. "Jamie this is Barney. Would you mind showing him to his new room?"

"Sure." He took one of Barney's bags. "So where you from?" Jamie asked as he and Barney walked away down the corridor.

Bailey walked to the door with Clint. "Is there something wrong? I know its not a great place but it'll get better I promise."

"No its not that its just...I wanted to ask you something, about your brother."

Bailey breathed in a slow breath. "Alright, ask away."

Clint took a second before asking him. "You said you had a brother, had."

Bailey looked down, knowing in some way that he would catch that. "Well that's because George isn't with us any more Clint, he passed a long time ago."

Clint looked sorry to have asked the question and wanted to comfort his most recent guardian. "I'm really sorry."

"No its fine, I've accepted it and have moved on."

"But you still miss him right?"

Bailey smiled. "Every day."

Clint felt sad for the old detective.  
His mother used to hug him when he felt bad so maybe it'd help out Bailey now, so that's what Clint did. Afterwards Bailey opened the door to leave the foster home. "I'll see you soon Clint."

"Bailey wait!" Clint said holding the door open. "I'm sorry I yelled at you last night, I didn't mean it, any of it."

Bailey smiled another big grin. "Go inside Clint, I promise I'll visit you and Barney soon, go on." He said before finally entering his car and driving off.

Clint closed the front door and absorbed his new surroundings. "Okay, new beginning."

**Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter, I'm glad I got a few follows on this story, there'll be a lot more to come as it goes on, we really haven't even started yet haha.  
Please drop a review if you have the time, its always appreciated and feel free to checkout my two other fics. :)**


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